The Parable of the Master and Servant is a

parable A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, w ...

told by

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

, found only in

Luke's Gospel The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-volu ...

(). The parable teaches that when somebody "has done what God expects, he or she is only doing his or her duty."

Narrative

The parable reads as follows:

Interpretation

This parable suggests that "even the best of God's servants are still unworthy because they have only done their duty and no more."Mark Black,
Luke
', College Press, 1996, , p. 285. Nobody, "no matter how virtuous or hardworking, can ever put God in his or her debt."Arland J. Hultgren,
The Parables of Jesus: A Commentary
', Eerdmans Publishing, 2002, , p. 251.

William Barclay William Barclay may refer to: *William Barclay (jurist) (1546–1608), Scottish jurist *William Barclay (writer) (c. 1570–c. 1630), Scottish writer *William Barclay (painter) (1797–1859), English miniature painter *William Barclay (theologian) ...

,
The Gospel of Luke
', Westminster John Knox Press, 2001, , p. 257. relates the parable to the last verse of the

Isaac Watts Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include "When I Survey the ...

hymn "

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross The hymn, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", was written by Isaac Watts, and published in ''Hymns and Spiritual Songs'' in 1707. It is significant for being an innovative departure from the early English hymn style of only using paraphrased bibl ...

Were the whole realm of Nature mine, That were an offering far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

The phrase "unworthy servant" in the last verse of the parable is widely used liturgically, such as in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Scottish biblical writer William Nicoll refers to this story as "the parable of extra service".Nicoll, W.
The Expositor's Greek Testament
on Luke 17, accessed 4 July 2018

References

{{Parables of Jesus, state=expanded Master and Servant, Parable of the Gospel of Luke

Narrative

Interpretation

See also

References